Mobile starts building neighborhood gardens; 1st to be in De Tonti Square

MOBILE, Ala. -- City workers are scheduled to break ground Tuesday on the first of what officials hope will be several community gardens in Mobile.

The first garden will be on a city-owned piece of property on Conception Street between Adams and Congress streets in De Tonti Square, a historic neighborhood in downtown Mobile.

David O'Brien, the president of the De Tonti Square Neighborhood Association, said city workers will till the land today.

On Wednesday, city workers, De Tonti residents and others will build the garden beds, lay gravel between them and seed the soil, he said.

The garden will have 10 separate beds, O'Brien said. Some of the beds will be tended by community groups, such as 15 Place, which works with the homeless. The rest will be given to neighborhood residents, O'Brien said.

"It will be fresh organic vegetables, beautiful wildflowers and a reason for the community to get together," he said. "And it will be nice to look at."